Resilience and adaptation of agricultural practice in Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey

Recent research at Çatalhöyük challenges the traditional model of floodplain cultivation, revealing instead a dynamic agroecological system where Neolithic farmers strategically planted diverse crops across varied hydrological conditions. This approach, spanning over a millennium, showcased remarkable resilience and adaptability to local landscape affordances, particularly around nutrient-rich areas near the settlement. The study integrates hydrology and agroecology data to demonstrate that farming practices at Çatalhöyük were more complex than previously thought, highlighting the importance of creative cropping strategies in early agricultural adaptations.

Ayala, G., Bogaard, A., Charles, M., & Wainwright, J. (2022). Resilience and adaptation of agricultural practice in Neolithic Çatalhöyük, Turkey. World Archaeology, 54(3), 407–428. https://doi.org/10.1080/00438243.2022.2125058